Second Chances
by Life'e Favorite Lover
Summary: He was lost, and she found him. Now it's his turn to help find her. They lost three years and now have another chance to do things right. Hermione and Draco are brought back to their past in a whirlwind of distrust, dishonesty and divorce, but they will b
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

"I love you Hermione Granger, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Hermione looked at the boy in front of her. She loved him with all of her heart and soul and hated him for asking her five minutes before she was planning on asking I'm the same question.

"You couldn't have waited another few minutes, could you?" She asked in a laugh with tears flowing down her eyes. As he looked puzzled at her, she took out a small box and opened it beside the one in his hands.

Draco let out a laugh and pulled her into a strong embrace as he spun her in a circle, letting her feet fly off the grass, not wanting to hide his happiness.

The couple had been going out since the middle of sixth year when they had been paired together for the Valentines Day dance. Draco knew from the instant he saw her walking up to him in her beautiful, red dress that he was in love. She was beautiful, intelligent, good humored and a good person. He could spend his entire life just sitting with her and be happy. Hermione took a little longer to fall head over heels. As they kissed on their third date and the song "Shining Through" began to play in Hermione's head, she knew that he was the one and every word in the song was true. That was, and always would be, their song.

They finally separated after an eternity of looking like a double-headed blob and looked lovingly at each other.

"So what was _your_ embarrassing speech I know you had planned?" Draco asked, letting the tears flow in a small, slow stream down his cheeks, not even caring. "I know for a fact that 'you couldn't wait another few minutes' wasn't your first choice."

Hermione laughed and wiped her wet cheeks. "Well who knows? I might have thought that you would have gotten the idea soon enough."

Draco looked at her, laughing with her. She was small with a slim body, her hair was only a little less bushy than in their first year, and her face was red from tonight, yet she was still the most beautiful person in the world. They had had plenty of problems during their relationship, but he only knew that overcoming them only made their love stronger.

As Hermione looked up at Draco she thought about all of her second thinking, doubting, and fear in the beginning of their relationship. Until the Valentines Day dance he had not spoken a civil word towards her, and in one night he refused not to let her know how he felt. Now she knew that they were going to be together forever. Graduation was the next day and after that…


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Hermione Granger ran onto platform 9 ¾, her hair flying everywhere behind her. It wasn't like her to be running this late and she didn't like it. The fact that he straight skirt went down to her knees and her shoes had three-inch heels didn't help as she jumped into the closest compartment just when the train began to leave.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she found herself an empty compartment near the back and sat in one of the seats, not bothering to move her luggage from the floor beside her. She looked at her watch. One more minute and she would probably have missed the train and would have had to apparate.

She took out a book and began to read as the train began to leave the station, but soon found herself gazing out the window. The trees flew by and she felt her stomach rumble beneath her powder-blue blouse. Where was that power bar she put in her bag?

Several hours later, Hermione had thrown a robe over her outfit and stepped onto the platform. The train ride was so that she could meet a few students before the school year, but she had gotten caught up in a book she was reading that it felt like the train ride was only a few minutes after she found her power bar.

"Firs' years over here!" a familiar voice was calling.

Hermione turned and looked at the half giant she had grown to love over the years like a friend. His beard had finally begun to be streaked with grey, but they gave him a dignified look rather than the rustic one she had grown up with him having.

"Excuse me, sir," she said politely from behind him, "but can you please tell me where I can find my friend, Hagrid? I was supposed to meet him for the boat ride with the first years."

Hagrid didn't say anything, but smiled and felt a few tears of joy coming to his eyes. It had been only a few months since he had seen the girl behind him, but every time he was with her he was more and more proud.

"I'm sorry Miss," he began, not turning around, "but I have to be on the lookout for me friend, Hermione." He spun around and the two grabbed each other in an embrace.

"I missed you Hagrid," Hermione said into his shoulder before pulling apart. She pulled down her blouse, which had hiked up an inch and took a dignified pose. "Now I think that we had best call the first years over, less they wander off somewhere they ought not."

Hagrid grinned at the young woman before her. "You'll never change, will ya?" Hermione smirked at him, something that had grown on her, and shook her head. "Well good. I like yeh this way."

"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," Albus Dumbledore opened the feast with. He had decided to address the returning students while waiting for the first years, who were being held up by Peeves.

Hermione looked on either side at every one of the other professors. There was one empty seat, but she assumed it was just Trelawny. She listened with half an ear to Dumbledore, contrary to her years as a student, and scanned the Great Hall. The colors flooded her mind with memories of her happy years in the castle. It had been far too long since she had visited the wonderful school.

All of a sudden, the doors burst open, snapping Hermione out of her thoughts. The first years she had accompanied on the boats walked in with terrified expressions on her faces following Professor McGonagall. From the other side of the room, Hermione could hear someone bringing the sorting hat to the front of the hall, but the footsteps were different. They were the footsteps that accompanied the scent that filled her nostrils and filled her with emotions she hadn't felt in years. It couldn't have been him, but just to be sure she took a peek out of the corner of her eye and saw the very man she hoped it would not be leaving the stool to take the seat on Dumbledore's other side and a few seats down.

She felt someone squeeze her hand for support under the table and gave Professor McGonagall a thankful smile, but a hand squeeze could not help with the way she was feeling. Professor McGonagall took the scroll she was "looking for" and began to read off the names one by one. This could not be happening.

Hermione spent the entire feast fiddling with her naked finger, the fourth one (from the thumb) on her left hand. The rich scents coming from the foods before her barely scratched her nostrils and she waited for dessert to come and end so that she could hide in her room. No, she would not hide. This was her home too and one of her dream jobs. She would not be chased into her room.

"Miss Granger," Hermione looked at Professor McGonagall, "I know you are not pleased with the, er, staff situation, but please keep a stiff upper lip. This castle is big enough for the Gryffindors and Slytherins to calm down, it should be big enough for you and-"

"Thank you," Hermione whispered.

"Now don't worry. He'll be in the Charms corridor and you will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. You couldn't be farther unless he was the new potions master."

Hermione let out a weak smile, but settled with it, and so did Professor McGonagall because she resumed to her meal.

Later that night, Hermione was patrolling the halls when she came across a room with a light coming from behind the closed door. She walked over slowly, expecting to find an older couple reuniting after being apart during the summer. Instead, there was a candle burning on the table.

"I was hoping to see you," a voice whispered form behind her. It still sent chills down her spine. Hermione froze and looked straight ahead. She couldn't turn around. She couldn't move. She could feel him coming in closer, but stopping before he invaded her space.

"Good evening," she said weakly.

"We're going to be working in the same building. The least you could do is look at me."

"Did you light this candle to bring me here?"

He put his hand on her shoulder and looked at the candle. "Something suspicious isn't always at the fault of a Malfoy. Even being one for a short time should have taught you that."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three:

Hermione sighed. "Please cut the crap Draco. What are you doing here?"

Draco put his hands in his pockets and took a few steps closer. "I'm here to teach," he told her softly. He put his hand to her cheek, but she turned and brushed it away.

"I can't deal with this Draco," she said. "Just please stick to the charms corridor and keep your students in line." Hermione pushed past the last person she wanted to be with and ran to her rooms as soon as she was outside.

The next morning Hermione woke up, put on her favorite work outfit, prepared for the day and headed out to breakfast. She sat down at the head table and looked out at all the students. It was only six years ago that she was one of them. Now her first years were her seventh years. She prayed silently that none of them would remember her in that year.

The rest of the staff came down and took their respective seats with Draco arriving only as she was finishing up. She stood up and walked out into the corridor through the door to her left so that she wouldn't have to pass him and made her way to her new office.

"Shake it off, Hermione," she told herself upon entering the classroom where some of her first period was already seated. "Good morning," she greeted them, hoping that no one had heard her talking to herself. "Now why don't we just wait a few more minutes for the rest of the class before we-"

"You're Hermione Granger, right?" a tall boy in the back asked. Hermione nodded her head. "Weren't you engaged to Draco Malfoy a few years ago?"

Hermione took in a silent breath and put on a brave face. "Yes, yes I was, but that was many many years ago and irrelevant to Defense Against the Dark Arts."

The boy leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms, eyeing the new professor. He remembered her well from when he first entered the school. She had been named Head Girl with her boyfriend, Draco Malfoy, as Head Boy. The couple was famous because of who they were. He remembered her hiding behind her uniform or muggle clothes with either Draco or her Gryffindor friends (and usually Draco) at her side. Now she was standing in the front of the class wearing a form-fitting red skirt and blazer with red pumps and a naked ring finger. His old mentor would have some explaining to do third period. Just then, the rest of the class came piling in.

"Okay, now that I think we're all here. I'm Professor Granger, I'll just do a roll call and we can begin your first lesson of your last year." Hermione looked around the classroom as she called out their names, half of them familiar to her. She knew that these were all seventh years in the Gryffindor and Slytherin houses, of course. "Now that that's out of the way," she said after she was finished, "We are going to spend the rest of the next week or so reviewing with practical lessons and quizzes and then onto the new stuff. I have a list of what you have learned over the past few years and I must say that it is much more organized than it used to be, thank goodness. Now I would like you in the back, Jake, and, erm, Riley to please go into my office and _carefully_ bring the dresser in here."

The boy who had asked Hermione about Draco, a Slytherin, and a boy from the front row stood up and walked out of the room, a Gryffindor, returning a minute or two later with a large dresser.

"Thank you," Hermione said. "Five points each." The boys each took their seats and Hermione looked out at the class. "Can anyone tell me what is inside this box?"

A small girl next to Riley, Annette, shot her hand up in the air and said, "a boggart, ma'am."

"Thank you. Five points, but that is not all." The class wondered what she could have meant by that. "Tell me, what is it that a boggart does?"

Anette's hand shot up once more. "It changes its form to-"

"That's absolutely right, another five. A boggart can change its form, in this case, her form. Class, I would like you to meet my teacher's assistant," she opened the door, "Tizzy."

The next thing the class saw was the most beautiful creature any of them had ever laid eyes on. A stunning woman with thick black hair and a curvy figure stepped out of the dresser wearing a suit like Hermione's in blue, like her big eyes.

"Tizzy is a boggart," Hermione explained. "We met on one of my journeys in South America with my-my friend." Hermione looked away and tried to fight back old feelings.

"I saw that Hermione was alone," Tizzy said in a hypnotizing voice, "so I tried to frighten her, but there was a problem. I did not know what she was afraid of. She knew I was about to attack and instantly guarded herself. I transformed into many things, but she never said a spell or ran away screaming." The class was on the edges of their seats. "Honestly, I'm just a bad boggart, but Hermione tried something no other being ever had, talking. Neither of us know what happened, but we bonded somehow. This, as you should know, is not my true form and Hermione here is the only wizard I know of who had ever seen a true boggart form."

"It didn't only take me one day to make peace with Tizzy," Hermione said in a strong voice. "I had to visit her many times and even let my companion go home without me. Tizzy stayed in South America, but when I was offered this position I wrote to her right away and she was staying in my home by the end of the day. Because she is able to change form, Tizzy will help when we learn about creatures too dangerous to come to the castle."

"Even though she has relations with more magical creatures than the ministry itself."

"Thank you Tizzy." Hermione turned back to the class. "Tizzy here has offered her services as the class guinea pig, but most of the time she will just be there to help when you have trouble and I am not available."

Hermione's first day was off to a great start. She only had three classes in the morning and thankfully no one asked her about her and Draco. The students also seemed to love Tizzy, but she told Hermione that she could probably only stay for a few months and that on Halloween she was going to scare everyone, to which Hermione and Dumbledore laughed (with, not at). The two shared a lunch in Hermione's office and then finished off the day strongly with only first, fifth and second years.

Draco knew that his day was going to be a pain when he woke up and stubbed his toe on the doorframe on his way to the bathroom. He put on his green dress robe and gelled his hair to the side, something he began doing when his best friend told him that he was going to have to look like a teacher if he didn't want to get kicked out for shagging the students. That Potter would just say anything for a laugh, but Draco knew that he was right.

Because of his morning of stumbling around, Draco didn't arrive at breakfast until Hermione was leaving. He hoped that she would walk past him, but instead she went around the long way to get to her class. She was always one to avoid when she was afraid.

His first class that morning was with Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw seventh years. None of them seemed to know how to react when they found out that the much beloved Charms professor was being replaced by the Slytherin head boy they remembered from their first year at Hogwarts.

The class went smoothly enough, despite his having no idea how to assert authority to students without losing their respect he…earned during his last year as a Hogwarts student.

He made it almost the whole day without mention of Hermione, though he could tell that they were all itching to. Hermione and himself were always the subject of gossip, even after their graduation and especially during their quiet, but high profile, divorce. When one of the students from his Advanced Charms class last period asked him if he was nervous about teaching in such close quarters with his ex-wife in the place where they first met. Draco replied that it was off-topic and took several deep breaths to calm down.

The rest of the day went well enough. He had lunch and dinner with Snape at the head table and afterwards headed to his rooms.

The weeks went on and Hermione had to keep avoiding Draco to also avoid his advances. Why couldn't he just give up? There was no chance for them to get back together, no matter how strong the memories were. Tizzy was helping Hermione in her classes, but was having trouble fighting her instinct to scare them. She and Hermione ended up deciding that they would see if she could make it until Halloween, one more month, and then see what they would do.

On October first, Hermione was preparing for her lesson when she received an owl with a letter from Dumbledore announcing a meeting that evening after dinner. She finished up the last of her lessons and ate her dinner, trying to find out what the meeting was about from Professor McGonagall.

"Faculty," Professor Dumbledore opened the meeting with, "With one month before Halloween, I'd been hoping for the past few years for a Halloween masquerade and now I feel that now would be a good time for one. I want this to be a surprise to the students, so we will be planning it all our own."

The faculty looked at one another, a little worried about their beloved headmaster.

"To do this," he continued, "we will pick assignments out of our hats!" Everyone looked from one to another until Dumbledore removed his hat and picked out a piece of parchment. "Snacks!"

Everyone took off their hats and pulled out parchment after parchment. Most people seemed…well, as they would to one of Dumbledore's usual schemes.

"I have decorations," McGonagall said to Hermione. "How about you?"

"Costumes."

Across the Room; "Special effects."

"Invitations."

"People please," Dumbledore said after a few moments of chatter. "The most important part of this is working together. We will come up with a theme together right now and then there's a list of assignments that will be working together. Any ideas?"

Hermione raised her hand. "Oldies?" she suggested. "Like maybe flappers and saloon girls and lords."

"I like it," Dumbledore said with a smile. "But let's make them look dead. Any other ideas? No? All in favor?" A majority of the faculty raised their hands. Dumbledore clapped his hands and smiled. "Good then. Now the list is on the wall. Meeting adjourned."

Everyone stood up and made their way to the list.

"You didn't by any chance mistake special effects for costumes, did you?" McGonagall asked Hermione.

"Sorry," Hermione said. "Did you happen to see who I'm with?"

"Invitations."

A smirk suddenly grew on a young man's face nearby. Draco Malfoy turned around and faced his ex-wife.

"What now Draco?" Hermione asked gently, trying not to cause a scene.

"Well if you're costumes, then I'm invitations."

Hermione tried to keep her eyes from flying open and worked as hard as she could not to shove her way to the list. "Excuse me?"

"I'm invitations," Draco repeated. "Would you like to meet in my quarters of yours?"

Hermione sighed. "I would rather just agree now that we should send out the invitations first and then the costumes two days before the party. This way we don't have to see each other or-"

"Or acknowledge that one another exists?"

"You know that's now what I meant."

"Then what is it?"

The two were talking quietly as to not draw too much attention to themselves, but eyes were on them.

Hermione crossed her arms and looked down. "You can come to my quarters tomorrow. We have no classes and the matches still haven't begun so we'll be able to get it over with in one day."

"That's all I ask," Draco said.

The next morning Hermione was rushing around her room with a laughing Tizzy sprawled out on the bed.

"What do I wear?" Hermione exclaimed.

"Now what is this book I have found under the bed?" Tizzy asked, pulling and old photo album out from under the bed.

Hermione whipped around and gasped at that she saw in her friend's hands. She ran over to see if it was really her photo album from when she was younger, and it was!

"I can't believe it," she said, taking the book in her hands. "I haven't seen this book since, well, you know." Tizzy nodded her head. "I used to keep photo albums. This one is from my tenth birthday until my nineteenth. Draco bought me a new one on my twentieth birthday when this one filled up." Hermione opened the book. The people in the pictures looked so happy.

"Where is the next book?" Tizzy asked, looking around Hermione's shelves.

Hermione gently closed the book and closed her eyes. "It was the last present Draco gave me. It was like a farewell gift. The card said-"

"For the future and all that it brings."

Hermione and Tizzy flipped around and saw Draco leaning against the doorframe. It was nothing like Hermione's first encounter with Draco Malfoy, but almost everything else was the same.

Hermione and Ginny were sitting in a classroom talking about Hermione's ex-boyfriend, Viktor Krum. They were looking at pictures of Hermione and Viktor's trip to Paris that summer in her scrapbook when they noticed a figure in the doorway.

It was the infamous Draco Malfoy leaning against the doorframe with his arms and ankles crossed facing them with his trademark smirk on his face. "Well well well, what do we have here?"

Ginny rose from her seat and looked at Hermione. "I'll leave you two. Bye Hermione." She walked around Draco and left the room.

Draco walked up to Hermione and sat in the seat Ginny had occupied before. "So here I am."

Hermione nodded her head and put the book on the desk on her other side. "What do you want to work on first?"

"Dumbledore wants us to work together, or at least our assignments," Draco said, removing his cloak.

Hermione sighed and pulled out a piece of paper. "We know what the theme is, so why don't we do our own assignments then put them together?"

"Or we can work together like we're supposed to." This time it was Draco who sighed. "Please. Just because we didn't work out as husband and wife doesn't mean that we can't work out as co-workers."

Hermione whipped her head around and glared at him. "We are _not_ co-workers," she hissed.

"We just go to the same school." She turned back to her parchment. "Let's just' get this all over with."

Draco shrugged in his cocky way and began to play with his wand.

"Why must you do that?" Hermione asked. "Can't you just be a normal human being for once? We need to do a good job."

"You're kind of hot when you get all angry."

"You lost the right to say that when you signed those papers."

Draco rubbed his cheek. "Y'know, you have _got_ to stop doing that. It's quite painful."

Hermione closed her eyes. "Let's just get back to the project. We only have three weeks."

"Well then let's order in some dinner."

Sixteen year old Hermione and Draco ended up working for fifteen minutes out of the entire night they spent in the classroom and ended up in a relationship by the end of the month that lasted them almost five years, but that ended three years ago.

Twenty-three year old Draco was still persistent, but twenty-three year old Hermione was more resistant.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four: Fairy Tale Love

She looked in magazines and found a costume for every student in the school, placing a spell on them so that when they were mailed to the students, they automatically shrunk or grew to fit and gave the wearer an old, deadened look. She was going to use a few charms to find out who was going to go with whom and try to match dates.

Draco decided that they would send written invitations to everyone on October 24, giving them one week to run around and find a date for Hermione's part. The invitations would be sent with a cheap-looking costume, like a pumpkin or cat, but then they would change on the evening of the party during classes. They decided that everything, including the theme, would be a surprise to the students.

"Does this all have to be done in silence?" Draco asked softly after an hour of being able to hear the pages rustle from Hermione's breath.

Hermione closed her eyes and looked away. The memories were so strong, but she had to fight her instinct and control herself. She refused to fall back into his spell.

"You can't keep hiding from me forever."

Hermione opened her eyes and looked up at Draco. "Well I can try until I fail," she replied lightheartedly.

"Well what does it take to make that happen?"

They were getting closer and closer, speaking in almost hushed tones until Hermione's eyes closed once more and she kissed him and she fell.

"We won't be as productive if we talk," Hermione said from across the room. "Nothing ever gets done otherwise."

Draco pulled himself up and walked over to her, where she brought in her magazine to her chest like a shield. "Maybe that's why it's taking us so long though; because we aren't talking?"

Hermione looked him in the eyes and tried not to bite her lip, letting him know how hard she was fighting all that was inside her. "Please, let's just finish this and get through the school year."

Draco put his hand on her back and looked at her notes. "You haven't written anything."

Hermione moved her back, causing Draco's hand to come off. "I think you should go."

Draco closed his eyes and sighed. "I'll be in my office if you need me."

Hermione tried not to watch Draco as he left her quarters. She tried to finish her notes, but gave up and collapsed on her bed.

'Why did he have to get his dream job?'

The next few weeks of classes before the dance were smooth and enjoyable. Hermione's classes loved Tizzy, but were upset when she told them that she was going to heave to leave soon.

Draco's class wasn't as much fun, but students looked forward to it almost as much as Hermione's. He usually began the classes with a trick or prank and held games, but his essays were hard, not that Hermione's work was ever a walk in the park.

The former couple avoided each other as often as possible, but when the invitations came, Hermione saw that she was paired with the last person she wanted to be paired with.

"Why don't you give it a chance?" Tizzy asked as she sat on her luggage. "What would Ginny say if she was here?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and fixed her make-up. "I should never have introduced the two of you."

"She would tell you to go out there and face your demon," Tizzy said, answering her own question. "What's your costume?"

"We're going as Thumbelina and the Fairy Prince," Hermione told Ginny with a squeal. "The book I leant him, the one with Hans Christian Anderson's stories, had the tale of Thumbelina and he thought it was sweet that my parents named me after her (IN THE END OF 'THUMBELINA' THE PRINCE SAID THAT HE WOULD CALL HER MAIA)."

"Wow," Ginny said with a shocked expression. "Draco Malfoy said that is was 'sweet'?"

Hermione giglgled. "Well he didn't say it like that. We were talking about books and literature and I mentioned that one of my favorite authors is Hans Christian Anderson, blah blah blah, when he returned it I asked him which was his favorite…"

Three Days Before

"They're fairy tales Hermione," Draco said. "What did you expect me to say?"

Hermione giggled and moved to his arms on the couch they were sitting on in the head tower. "Maybe that it was 'The Most Incredible Ting'." She burst into laughter and let Draco roll his eyes and sigh.

"Hermione, I love you, but that was one of the worst jokes you've ever made."

"Hmph, if you loved me, you'd fake it," she said in a fake-pouting tone. "You 'Saucy Boy'."

Draco sighed. "You'd think that after almost a year that I'd be used to your poor sense of humor."

Hermione gave his arm a playful slap and closed her eyes as she rested in his arms. "My parents named me after one of their favorite tales."

"Thumbelina?"

Hermione's eyes shot open and she looked at him. "You read that one?"

"The book opens straight to that page, smart one."

"Yes. I am a smart one. And that is why Dumbledore put me in charge of the Halloween dance."

"He put both of us in charge. And if you're so smart, then why haven't you picked out your costume yet?"

"Because I was waiting for you," she replied with a smile.

"Well how about we honor your namesake?" he suggested. "It _is_ sort of a sweet story, but Hans Christian Anderson reminds me of, what was his name again? F. Scott Fitzgerald? Ernest Hemingway? I can never tell the difference between your muggle authors."

"That's so sweet," Tizzy squealed. "Assigned to go to the dance together in the first costume you wore together."

"If you're done, then maybe you can just help me finish my costume. I didn't have enough time to plan my own costume so now I'm stuck wearing the same thing I did-"

"_And_ you're wearing the same-"

Hermione slapped her hand onto Tizzy's mouth. "One more word and I'm telling the house elves that you're allergic to chocolate."

Tizzy's eyes opened wide and she shook her head. Hermione smiled and removed her hand. "Thanks, but never scare me like that again and give me that lip gloss."

An hour later Hermione opened her door to Draco. He looked pale, almost transparent, with wings and a gold crown on his head.

"Wow," he said. "You look beautiful."

Hermione felt herself blush and invited him into her living room.

"I'll be ready in a minute," she said as she went back up the stairs.

"Hi stranger." Draco turned around and saw Tizzy in the doorway with a pint of ice cream and a spoon. "It's been a while."

"Ah, the boggart. Here to scare me away?"

Tizzy rolled her eyes and sat in the seat across from him. "You here to pick up Hermione?"

"No, just here to hang out in wings and a crown," he replied sarcastically. "How have you been?"

"Your friend dumped me last year, but not bad otherwise," she told him. "And you?"

"Okay, I'm ready."

Draco looked up at the top of the stairs where Hermione was standing in her costume. It was a dress that looked like it was made of rose petals that ended at her thighs with a gold belt, white wings and a gold tiara.

"Wow," Draco said. "You look…"

Hermione giggled and blushed. "Thank you. You're not so bad yourself."

Draco held out his arm. "Shall we?"

"This isn't a date Draco," Hermione said. "I can walk by myself. Let's go."

"Have a great time you two!" Tizzy called as she watched her friends walk awkwardly down the hall.

"So how was the dance?" Tizzy asked before Hermione even stepped into her room.

Hermione began to undress as she thought about the night. "Long."

"Hermione, I want you to know that you may have given up on us, but I never will," Draco told Hermione as they opened the dance with the heads and the rest of the faculty.

"Draco, please don't wake a scene," she told him, refusing to look her ex-husband in the eye.

Draco looked up and scanned the rest of the hall. "What do I have to do to even get you to be friendly with me?"

"I am friendly."

"Then why won't you even talk to me?"

"The song is over."

"Why won't you just give him a chance?" Tizzy asked. "He's not that bad of a guy."

Hermione turned around and glared angrily at her friend. "You try working with and being forced to spend time with your ex-husband! Then you can tell me what to do! Until then stay the hell out of my business!"

"You don't think that I don't know what it's like to have my heart broken by the man that I love?" Tizzy yelled. "I was engaged to be married last year!" Tears filled her eyes.

Hermione realized that she'd said and calmed down. "I'm sorry Tiz." She took her friend in her arms and said, "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I didn't mean it."

"What do you mean you told her that you still hadn't given up?" Harry's head exclaimed from the flames in Draco's quarters.

Draco put his head in his hands. "I love her. What can I say?"

"Just be careful with her. I love her too."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

She looked around the room. Her past was all coming back. It was flooding the room, her head, her every thought. She couldn't breathe. Everything was so real.

She tried to escape.

She ran to the door.

What was going on?

Hermione woke up the next morning in a cold sweat. She tried hard to remember he dream before giving up and getting out of bed to get ready for classes.

"You look like hell," Tizzy said as Hermione came down the stairs.

"Weird dream," Hermione mumbled.

"Well before you share, you might want to match your shoes."

Hermione looked down and saw that she was wearing one blue shoe and one tan one. She turned around and ran up the stairs only to see that she had also mismatched her outfit. Instead of wearing a robe with a chic skirt and shirt, she had on a sundress with a blazer. She began to undress as Tizzy stepped in with a big cup of coffee.

"Wow, must have been some dream, or maybe even some night," she laughed.

Hermione looked at Tizzy and rolled her eyes.

We danced all night," Hermione told Ginny. "He was so sweet and we talked the entire time. I definitely didn't expect this from Draco Malfoy."

"That's the cutest thing I've ever heard!" Ginny squealed. "Two enemies finding love at a school dance after being forced together for a project. It's so romantic."

"Well it isn't like it's going to go anywhere, I don't even know if we can call each other friends."

"So you didn't talk at all? Not even 'what a good song'?"

Hermione stepped out of her closet as she buttoned her shirt and looked up. "How does this look?"

"Don't change the subject!" Tizzy said. "Though I must say that I like the look, but you might want to throw on these earrings."

"Oh, hi," Hermione said as she got to her favorite spot in the library where Draco was sitting.

"Hello," Draco said, looking up at her. He closed his book and stood up from the large chair. "I was just thinking about you."

Hermione smiled and blushed. "Thank you."

"Would you like to sit down?"

Hermione nodded and sat down in the big armchair and Draco pulled a chair over from the nearest table.

"Oh," Hermione said suddenly as Draco sat down, "I have your earrings," she reached into her bag.

Eighteen Hours Ago

"Hermione you look great!" Ginny said with a smile as Hermione made her way down the stairs. She had on a white dress that was form fitting on the top with sequence designs and spaghetti straps and a full bottom made of tool. "You're going to be the center of attention at the Christmas party."

"Thanks Gin. I love your dress too."

Ginny had on a pale blue version of Hermione's dress, only the top and bottom weren't connected and the top was a tank-top with a round neck.

"Thanks. So where is Draco picking you up?" Ginny asked as they headed to the portrait hole.

"Wait, aren't you going with Harry?"

"He's going to meet us there. He said that he has a surprise for me. Oh, does he know you're going with Draco?"

"I told him that we were going together because Dumbledore wanted us to, but I think he's starting to catch on. Even Ron is behaving weird."

Ginny shrugged. "Well be careful. So where are we going?"

"He said that he wanted to meet me by the library." Hermione and Ginny separated at the end of the corridor. "I'll see you there."

"You look beautiful," Hermione heard from behind her.

She jumped and turned around, almost causing her to fall over, were it not for Draco putting his hands on her waist to catch her. "Hello," she giggled.

"Falling over me already? You haven't even seen my dance moves."

Hermione laughed and looked up at his steel-blue eyes. "Well you must show me." She put her hands on his and began to walk down the corridor towards the Great Hall.

"Wait," Draco said, pulling her back gently. "I have something for you to wear tonight." He reached into his pocket with one hand, not moving the other one out of her's, and took out a small black box.

Hermione opened the box and gasped. Inside there was a pair of earrings that looked like diamond snowflakes. "They're beautiful." She put them into her ears and showed them off. "How do they look?"

"You look perfect, let's go." He took her hand and walked down the hall.

Eighteen Hours Later

"Keep them," he said before she could pull them out. "Merry Christmas."

"Good morning class. I hope you had fun last night and enjoyed your costumes. Today we will be learning about cursed items, though, which I have been leading up to, if you didn't catch on from the past two days. Who would like to tell me how to test, let's say, a costume for curses?"

Hermione tried to avoid Draco for three weeks, but he finally caught up with her on her way back from taking Tizzy to a house Dumbledore found in Hogsmaed.

"Hermione! Is that you?" He called from the Quidditch pitch. He turned to the Slytherin team and said something before flying down to her side. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine," she said, not looking at him.

"I've been trying to find you, but you're never around. I wanted to ask you if-"

"Professor Malfoy, I need to get to my class to prepare my lessons."

"Hermione, we both know that you've got the entire year's lessons planned." He flew his broom in front of her and refused to let her go around him. "Can we please just talk?"

"Draco, you're being very immature. Please let me pass."

"I'll do better," Draco said. He held out his hand and said, "I'll give you a ride so we can talk and you can get there faster."

Hermione sighed and climbed on in front of him onto the broom. "Keep the conversation light and the flying slow."

"You're afraid of flying?" Draco asked with a chuckle. "Come here, I promise I'll go slow."

Hermione took Draco's hand and climbed in front of him.

"Don't worry," he assured her, sliding his arm around her as he took off, "besides, now you won't be late for dinner and I get to ask you out on a date."

"No Draco, we can not have dinner," Hermione said curtly. "Here's my window."

"I'll be here tonight, and don't think that you won't be here when I show up," he replied with a smile as she stepped onto the balcony.

Hermione watched Draco fly off and walked over to the bathroom as soon as he was out of sight. She sighed and turned on a few faucets. She stepped into her room and took out "War and Peace."

"This can't be happening," she said to herself as she stepped into the tub and felt the bubbles tickle her chin. She let the lavender bubbles pop, filling the room with the sweet scent and drifted into a peaceful sleep.

She looked around the gardens. The sun was beginning to set, but there were lights around. She followed the lights to the middle of the hedges where there was a small table set for two.

"You look beautiful."

Hermione turned around and smiled. "You have to stop doing that."

Draco smirked as he walked up to her. "But then I wouldn't be able to see you from all sides."

Hermione blushed and let him tuck her seat in behind her. "Thank you. This is lovely."

"I wanted it to be special." Draco pulled out a single pink rose and handed it to her. "For you."

Hermione took the flower and inhaled the scent. How could he have remembered that pink roses were her favorite? "Thank you."

Three hours flew by and the food went nearly untouched. The two teens could feel the sparks fly around the clearing in the middle of the hedges. They only ended the evening when they realized that it was dark outside and the weather turned cold.

Draco held Hermione's hand the entire walk back to her common room and gave her a soft kiss before going back to his room. "Good night."

KnockKnock

Hermione jumped out of the tub and threw on her robe. She opened the door to Draco, who was holding a single pink rose.

Hermione rolled her eyes and let him into her common room. "What do I have to do to get you off my tail?" she asked with a sigh.

"Just dinner," he said, "then I'll believe you don't have feelings for me."

Hermione thought for a second but threw her hands up in the aid. "Fine. Give me a minute to get dressed."

Draco let Hermione go into her room to change without making a comment like he might have when they were dating.

The moment her door was closed, Hermione began to rifle through her closet, throwing everything she rejected onto her bed.

"Wait Hermione," she told herself. "Calm down. Get a hold of yourself."

She ended up wearing a brown Tadashi Matte Jersey Dress she picked up on a trip to New York with Harry, Ron and Ginny with brown heels. Her hair was back in a half-ponytail. She took in a deep breath and opened the door.

"Keep the conversation light and the meals even lighter."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"Okay, open your eyes."

Hermione opened her eyes and looked around.

"Stop trying to relive the past," she said.

She looked around the gardens. The sun was beginning to set, but there were lights around. She followed the lights to the middle of the hedges where there was a small table set for two.

Draco stepped up beside her and pulled her chair out for her, which she accepted. She looked straight down at her meal. It was the same meal from her wedding. She fought back the tears that were coming to her eyes. It was so painful trying to fight the memories.

"Why did you leave me?" Draco asked after sitting in silence for several minutes.

Hermione looked away from the table. The memories were flooding back as she tried to push them back.

Draco poured her a glass of the same wine they'd had at their wedding and placed it in front of her.

When she didn't look at him, even after taking a sip, he let out a sigh and said, "Please just look at me Hermione. Even if you send daggers with your eyes and give me looks of hatred, at least let me know you see me!"

Hermione looked up and he saw the tears in her eyes. She's spent so much time trying to keep these emotions at bay whenever she had to face the memories, but when they were staring her right in the face, all she could do was relive everything she went through.

"Hermione," Draco whispered. He swooped down to her side and looked up at her, taking her hand in his and placing it against his chest. "Please, please Hermione, don't cry. Don't cry."

"I have to go."

Hermione opened her eyes as she slowly separated from Draco's embrace. The kiss had been filled with more emotions than she had ever felt before. She looked into his eyes. They were burning into her soul.

She closed her eyes and let her lips meet his once more.

"Draco stop!" Hermione cried out. The tears were flowing down her cheeks as she stepped back. He was still holding on to her hand, but he didn't realize as she struggled to escape.

He looked down with a gasp and let her go. She smoothed out her dress and maintained composure.

She looked him straight in the eye and said, "It took me three years to be able to even think of you without crying. It's hard enough seeing you, but do you have to keep trying to relive what we had? It's over! Live with it!" She turned around and walked as quickly as possible to her quarters. She slammed the door closed behind her and sank down to the floor and began to cry.

Why couldn't he leave her alone? Why did he have to have hope in them when it would only end in heartbreak? Why did he insist that they pretend that nothing had happened?

"It was the most perfect kiss," Hermione told Ginny with a squeal.

"Well I'll be sure to do it more often then," a husky voice said from her as a pair of hands began to wrap around her waist.

Hermione felt a pair of soft lips make contact with her neck.

"Draco," she giggled, "someone could see."

"Let them," he said into her cheek before planting a kiss there. He looked up at Ginny and said, "Hello Weasley."

"Hello yourself," she replied with a grin. "So now that you two kids have finally kissed, when are you going two going to come out?"

Draco and Hermione looked at each other. "Well, I _have_ had my eye on this one for three months now," Draco said with a smirk. "I think I want us to come out as a couple as soon as Hermione over here stops running away from me,"

"Well I have to run when people come," she said sweetly. "It was part of the original deal, remember?"

Two and a half months earlier

"Draco," Hermione said quietly, "I don't like seeing you in the hall and lying to Harry and Ron."

Draco exhaled slowly and looked at the girl. The past two weeks had been complete bliss, but she was right. When they saw each other in the hallway or class, their friends would insult one another, but Draco would hold back and watch while Hermione wouldn't know what to do.

"You friends will lock you away and attack me if they saw us," Draco whispered.

They were in the back of the library, pretending to work on an assignment given to them by Dumbledore, which they had finished a few days ago.

Hermione agreed with him and looked down. "They told me that if you ever said anything that strayed from the assignment that they would turn your hair red, shave it off, then beat you up. I don't know what those things have to do with each other, but, well," she burst into laughter. "They're idiots, but I love them."

Draco laughed, but it ended in a sigh. "So I guess we ignore this."

"I guess so."

Two and a half months later

"Hermione, maybe we _should_ tell your friends," Draco said.

Hermione smiled and looked at him. "Really?"

"Well considering that I think I may be falling for you, it might be important to get this out in the open before we elope behind their backs," Draco said with a laugh.

Hermione laughed with him, but Ginny looked at them, shocked at what she had just heard Draco say.

"She ran off?" Harry exclaimed.

Draco nodded his head slowly and shoved his hands in his pockets. "She was in tears by the time I let her go."

"'Let her go'?"

"I was, well, holding on to her hand after I kissed her."

"You _kissed_ her?" Harry shook his head. "You really messed up ma-"

"Harry!" they heard from Harry's end of the fireplace. "Is that you?"

"I'll be right there Ginny!" Harry looked at Draco one more time before leaving. "You may be in love with her, but that doesn't mean that you won't hurt her. Just watch what you do. She's a very protective person when it comes to her heart. Believe me, I know."

Draco nodded his hear and watched Harry's disappear. What was he supposed to do?

The next morning Draco avoided looking at Hermione at breakfast. All of the professors saw that there was something going on between the two before he even arrived. Hermione was wearing a plain, black dress under a pale pink robe and didn't look up from her untouched food.

The day went by slowly for Hermione. Classes were filled with students that asked for Tizzy, who was staying in her new home for a few weeks and some of the girls even asked her why neither she, nor Draco were at dinner.

"The next student who asks about my personal life or romantic history will not only receive three months of detention, but will also have to do a five-foot essay and lose eighty house points," she said. The bell rang. "You're dismissed."

Hermione waited until the door closed before she sank into her seat. She buried her face in her hands and let the memories rush over her.

It was like yesterday; the day she left him.

Hermione, what's going on?" Draco asked.

Hermione was sitting on the couch in the parlor. Her suitcase was packed and next to her, but she was staring out into space, unable to think.

She stood up and looked at Draco. "I'm leaving."

She grabbed her suitcase and ran down the stairs. Draco tried to follow her. He tried to stop her. He called after her, but she refused to let him touch her; not with his hands, not with his words. She opened the door and apparated the moment she closed it.

KnockKnock

Hermione looked up and called, "It's open!"

She wiped the tears away and looked up.

Draco stepped into the classroom and silently closed the door. Without taking a step forward, he said, "I searched every corner of the earth for you. I used every ounce of magic in me, every feeling in my gut, every piece of knowledge in my heart and every connection to you I have and I almost lost everything for you. I questioned every moment we spent together every word I said, every move I made. You changed my entire life and made it worth living. I don't want to lose you; I want to know why. I know you still love me and that it hurts, because I can feel your pain. Don't come running back into my arms because I'm making the speech that's been building up in me for years, but don't kick me out because you don't want to come in."

Hermione stood up and looked out the window. "Not everything is about what feels right. You can't always trust your gut, and you can't rely on it for the rest of your life. This isn't as simple as a few words and pangs in our hearts and no amount of words will ever make it any easier."

Draco walked up and sat in the middle seat in the front row. "Don't give me a few words then."

Hermione sighed and sat back down. "What do you want me to say?"

"Give me a problem we had. Tell me anything. I don't care if it's that I forgot to put the cap back on the toothpaste one time, just," he sighed, "give me something."

"Why did we only ever stay in one wing of your house?"

"I'm ashamed of the rest of it."

"But it's your father, not you. You didn't let me set foot outside of the area you gave me. I wasn't allowed to read any books you didn't give me. You let me into any part of my life that you wanted to share, but didn't even give me an inch when it came to what you did when I was asleep. You placed spells on your journals. You protected me more than Harry and Ron."

Draco folded his arms across his chest and smirked. "You always protected yourself, you never needed me to do so. You opened your heart, but would always tell things to your friends that you would never tell me. You ran from love."

"You ran from trust."


End file.
